2018 Swine Skill-a-thon Study Guide

Confirmation

-Review Chapter 3 of the Swine Resource Handbook. Pages 3-7 through 3-15 have great

information regarding ideal structural characteristics.

-Be familiar with leg and pastern structural abnormalities and be able to identify the

abnormality by picture. There are 2 documents also posted with the study guide for reference.

-Understand why poor confirmation is not desirable and how to improve confirmation in

your herd.

Feed

-Review Chapter 8 of the Swine Resource Handbook.

-Be familiar with you would feed in order for your animal to gain weight or stay at an

even weight.

-Be able to identify some common feed. Pages 8-8 through 8-10 of the Swine Resource

Handbook will be a useful study tool.

Thank you notes

-Understand the importance of a thoughtful thank you note.

-Practice statements to make it personal. Tell your buyers what you learned from your

4-H project or what life skills your livestock project has taught you.

Swine Evaluation

Swine Structure

Desirable Skeleton

Swine Structure

Undesirable Skeleton

Swine Structure

Desirable Skeleton

Swine Structure

Undesirable Skeleton

Even toes and correct angle to

pastern

Upright and straight pastern

”Rigid”

Long and weak pastern

“Flat Footed”

Differences in Structure

Front Skeleton

Knee coming forward due to upright pastern

Knee is correct even with weak

pastern

Correct curve and set to knee

Differences in Structure

Front Skeleton

Extremely upright angle to

blade

Very slight upright angle to

blade

Correct angle to blade

Differences in Structure

Front Skeleton

Differences in Structure

Even toes, feet point forward

Uneven toes, feet point in “Pigeon Toed”

Uneven toes, feet point out “Toes Out”

Front Skeleton

Differences in Structure

Center Skeleton

Level and flexible spine High and tight spine

Differences in Structure

Rear Skeleton

Steep hip and extra set to hock (sickle hocked)

Level hip and correct set to hock and pastern

Somewhat level hip and straight set to hock and

pastern

Differences in Structure

Rear Skeleton

Correct hock placement“True and Square”

In at his hock “Cow Hocked”

Differences in Structure

Desirable

Undesirable